It's Friday the 13th. Do you believe in magic? According to Matthew Hutson, author of new book The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane, we’re all believers—even the most skeptical among us.

“Magical thinking is ubiquitous,” says Hutson, a former editor of Psychology Today. “Everyone is susceptible to it. And while we tend to think of distorted perceptions of reality as inherently bad, sometimes they’re actually good for us.”

Hutson, who researched the book for nearly six years, defines “magical thinking” as attributing mental properties to non-mental phenomenon by interpreting natural events as having purpose and meaning or treating your thoughts as if they have physical power. If you believe in luck, karma, jinxes, destiny or the afterlife, then you believe in magic.

Drawing on evolutionary research, cognitive science and neuroscience, Hutson claims that magical thinking has been so important to our survival that it’s hardwired into the brain. It helps us make sense of an irrational world and gives us comfort, agency and control. He breaks down the seven types of magical thought and how they can fuel your success.

Objects Carry Essences

Would you pay more for an autographed baseball or a dress worn by your favorite celebrity? Would you refuse to buy a house where a murderer had lived? This is magical thinking, says Hutson, rooted in the idea of property transmission—handling something dirty makes us dirty and touching something hot burns our skin. The belief that subjective properties can be transferred through your lucky ball cap is irrational, but it can provide comfort, confidence and a feeling of control over the world. Your wedding ring or grandmother’s pearls may not be instilled with any real spirit, but they help you feel closer to the loved one.

The Mind Knows No Bounds

Actor Jim Carrey famously wrote himself a check for $10 million and carried it in his wallet until he could cash it 10 years later. Hutson says the law of attraction is the belief that visualizing something will make it real. Rhonda Byrne made this a best-selling idea with 2007 book The Secret, which said if you pictured the life you wanted, the universe would deliver it to you. “Scientifically, the law of attraction actually does work,” says Hutson—but not because of mental frequencies. Positive expectations become self-fulfilling prophesies, as you’re more likely to know what you want, recognize opportunities for success and project confidence.

Symbols Have Power

If you believe rain on your wedding day forecasts a stormy marriage, then you attribute meaning to symbols. Hutson calls this the law of similarity, or believing that causes resemble effects. It can be logical—a star-shaped cookie cutter will produce a star-shaped cookie—but not always is. In experiments, people become anxious when they are asked to cut up a photo of someone they love, worrying the act might cause them bodily harm. However, believing in the symbolic power of ritual acts, like a wedding ceremony, offers people a sense of predictability that they crave.